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About NUI Galway

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Biography

Before coming to the NUI Galway, Maura was a Reader at the University of Brighton. Previous to this, she was an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Management, University of Dallas. From 1993-2000, Maura taught at the Queen's University of Belfast. She taught at St Catharine's College Cambridge, Birkbeck College, University of London, University of Graz, Austria (as an Erasmus exchange professor) and was a visiting research fellow at the ESRC Centre for Business Research, University of Cambridge. Maura has a BSc in Economics from New York University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Notre Dame, USA.

Maura recently completed an EU Marie Curie Fellowship (2009-2012). She investigated the determinants and performance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the emerging economies of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The project also compared how labour is managed and by whom in foreign and domestic subsidiaries of the same organisations. The relationships between strategy, HRM, devolvement of HR to line managers and subsidiary performance was examined. The importance of country and organisational culture in understanding differences in HRM and the delivery of HR was central to this investigation. This project represented a synthesis of Maura’s expertise in industrial and labour economics, human resource management and international management.

Maura recently completed an EU-funded Marie Curie Fellowship (2009-2012). She investigated the determinants and performance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the emerging economies of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The project also compared how labour is managed and by whom in foreign and domestic subsidiaries of the same organisations. The relationships between strategy, HRM, devolvement of HR to line managers and subsidiary performance was examined. The importance of country and organisational culture in understanding differences in HRM and the delivery of HR was central to this investigation. This project represented a synthesis of Maura’s expertise in industrial and labour economics, human resource management and international management.

As of 1 April 2014, Maura will be heading an EU-funded Work Package (WP) entitled ‘SMEs, Innovation and Youth Employment Opportunities’ (with a focus on the ICT and the creative industries) which is part of a 5 million FP7 entitled ‘Strategic Transitions for Youth Labour In Europe (STYLE)’ (headed by the University of Brighton). She will be coordinating colleagues across 8 EU countries: Austria, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and the UK.

Throughout her career, she has consistently produced journal articles in high quality 3 and 4 star ABS ranked journals. These include: The British Journal of Industrial Relations; Cambridge Journal of Economics; Industrial and Corporate Change; International Journal of Human Resource Management; International Small Business Journal; and Personnel Psychology.

'Investment in Training and Development in Times of Uncertainty'
Sheehan, M (2014) 'Investment in Training and Development in Times of Uncertainty'. Advances In Developing Human Resources, 16 (1):13-33 [Details]

(2014)

'Human Resource Management and Performance: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms'
Sheehan, M. (2014) 'Human Resource Management and Performance: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms'. International Small Business Journal, 32 (5):545-570 [DOI] [Details]

'Strategic HRM, Devolvement, and the Perceived Performance in Multinational Corporations (MNCs): A mediating role for Line of Sight?'
Sheehan, M. (2013) 'Strategic HRM, Devolvement, and the Perceived Performance in Multinational Corporations (MNCs): A mediating role for Line of Sight?'. Organization and Management, Polish Academy of Sciences, [Details]

'Exploring the Link between Management Development and Perceived Performance in Multinational Corporations (MNCs): An analysis of Polish and UK subsidiaries'
Sheehan, M (2012) 'Exploring the Link between Management Development and Perceived Performance in Multinational Corporations (MNCs): An analysis of Polish and UK subsidiaries'. Human Resource Management, 84 (12):117-134 [Details]

'Investing in Management Development in Turbulent Times and Perceived Organisational Performance: A Study of UK MNCs and their Subsidiaries'
Sheehan, M (2012) 'Investing in Management Development in Turbulent Times and Perceived Organisational Performance: A Study of UK MNCs and their Subsidiaries'. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23 (12):2491-2513 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Contributions

Year

Publication

(2013)

University Forum for Human Resource Development,
Sheehan, Maura (2013) Investment in Training & Development in Times of Uncertainty. [Conference Paper], University Forum for Human Resource Development, University of Brighton , 05-JUN-13 - 31-MAY-13.
[Details]

(2013)

University Forum for Human Resource Development (HRD),
McCabe, TJ; Sheehan, M (2013) Human Resource Development (HRD) related issue amongst Migrant Nurses living and working in the Republic of Ireland. [Conference Paper], University Forum for Human Resource Development (HRD), University of Brighton , 05-JUN-13 - 05-JUN-13.
[Details]

University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) Conference,
Sheehan, M. (with Thomas Garavan) (2011) National Context as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Business Strategy, Global Staffing Strategies, Organisational Support and Management Development: Evidence from Poland, Hungary and The Czech Republic. [Conference Paper], University Forum for Human Resource Development (UFHRD) Conference, Gloucester: University of Gloucester , 01-MAY-11 - 01-MAY-11.
[Details]

Honours and Awards

Best International Paper: ‘Exploring the Link between Management Development and Firm Performance: A Multi-Unit and Multi-Respondent Analysis’

Emerald Publishing & European Journal of Training & Development

Professional Associations

Association

Function

From / To

British Academy of Management

Member

/

Irish Academy of Managment

Member

01-FEB-13 /

Other Activities

Description

Expert Testimony:

In the past 18 months, I have given expert testimony to the Chambers of Commerce (equivalent of) in Zlin, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary and Warsaw, Poland on the policy implications of my research arising from my EU Marie Curie Grant. Particular focus was given to the pros and cons reported by MNCs of operating in the study countries. In April 2012, I was invited by the President of Poland, President Komorowski, to present findings about my research on Polish migration & foreign direct investment (FDI) at a private meeting he hosted at his residence, 'Belweder Palace' in Warsaw about the future of the Polish economy.

I have acted as an expert witness and given presentations on economic development and financial accountability in the US to the City of Dallas, Economic Development Sub-Committee; Chambers of Commerce (Dallas, Forth Worth, Plano and Allen); Small Business Association; African Chamber of Commerce; African-American Chamber of Commerce; the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Louisiana House of Representatives, Economic Development sub-committee; and the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA).

While based at Queen’s University (1993-2000), I also served as an expert witness and gave presentations on economic development, industrial competitiveness, north-south economic integration, to the International Fund for Ireland (IFI); and on most facets of employment legislation to: the British House of Commons sub-committee on Irish affairs (1997 and 1998); the British House of Commons Employment Committee (1998); the British-Irish inter-Parliamentary Committee on Irish Affairs (1996 - 1999); The Office of An Taoiseach (1998-1999); Dail Eireann Committee on North-South Trade (1997-1999); Dail Eireann Committee on North-South Economic Development (1998); US House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Irish affairs (1997); the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (1996); the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) (1998-2000); the Confederation of Irish Industry (1997-2000); the Confederation of Small Business, N. Ireland (1998-1999); the Belfast Chamber of Commerce (1996-2000); and a talk entitled, ‘Fair Employment: An Issue of the Irish Peace Process’, presented to the United Nation’s Committee on Human Rights, New York (1995).